There is a new cooking show coming the Giada de Laurentis and Bobby Flay. I'm not sure how that pairing will do. I think she will out shine him. She is vivacious, bouncy and that huge smile of hers just lights up a room. He is either a bit shy or has an attitude...have not figured it out yet as I do not watch him that much. What do you think?

There is something about Bobby Flay that I just can't stomach. Some of it has to do with an account by someone, years ago, who appeared on a show with him (I think it might have been posted here - anyone remember?). In that account, he came off as a real jerk. There was the Iron Chef competition against Morimoto, in which he jumped on a table to do an "in your face" victory dance which came off as completely inappropriate despite his win. And then there's the fact that to me, he just comes off as weaselly. That's not really fair, given that I've never met the man but there you have it.

Since I'm not all that much of a Giada fan, I'll almost certainly avoid this show unless it gets good ratings here.

Mike pretty much wrapped it up for me. Plus, I'm not at all a fan of the kind of gimmick-driven shows that populate the Food Network schedule. I like old-fashioned cooking shows: talented chef makes something in front of the camera with good ingredients. Like Laura Calder. But I'm in the minority, because that's not what's on the Food Network or their sister channel. Bitchin Kitchen? Obedient ingredients? Spare me. Iron Chef is the one show I watch, and I tape it for later viewing. From that have gained some respect for Bobby Flay's skill, but have never warmed to him personally and can't say I'd look forward to any show he'd be on.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Agree! Rather stupid stuff that I cannot fathom how they even came up with it. What is an "obedient" ingredient anyway! I have a few shows I like. I guess they have found that folks want to be entertained, not educated. I have tried many of Ina's recipes and they are simple and solid. But I get tired of shows dating back a few years, so I only watch now and then. I find Chopped to be interesting at times, and for fun, I enjoy The Chew because I like the characters and they do have fun.

Jenise wrote:Plus, I'm not at all a fan of the kind of gimmick-driven shows that populate the Food Network schedule. I like old-fashioned cooking shows: talented chef makes something in front of the camera with good ingredients.

Agreed. In the late 90s and even into the early 00s, the Food Network was actually pretty interesting. Ming Tsai and Batali were two of my favorites, but I thought Bobby Flay was also pretty good value in those days.

But it got way too gimmicky way too fast and I haven't watched in years.

Jenise wrote:Plus, I'm not at all a fan of the kind of gimmick-driven shows that populate the Food Network schedule. I like old-fashioned cooking shows: talented chef makes something in front of the camera with good ingredients.

Agreed. In the late 90s and even into the early 00s, the Food Network was actually pretty interesting. Ming Tsai and Batali were two of my favorites

I'm right there with you. I've also liked Michael Chiarello's show and Laura Calder's. They're really the only two since those you mention who have impressed and inspired me. Laura's Canadian and a star on the Canadian Food Network, or so I understand, and very much a French cook in the bistro style that I love and live for myself. You'd like her. Competent, knowledgeable and easy to watch both for her skill and elegantly low-key personality (all the Canadian men I know are in love with her). Unfortunately, though she can cook circles around most of the people on either network (dare I suggest that's the problem), the American Cooking channel owns only about 7 episodes of her show taped in 2009, I think it was, but that's all.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:Plus, I'm not at all a fan of the kind of gimmick-driven shows that populate the Food Network schedule. I like old-fashioned cooking shows: talented chef makes something in front of the camera with good ingredients.

Agreed. In the late 90s and even into the early 00s, the Food Network was actually pretty interesting. Ming Tsai and Batali were two of my favorites

I'm right there with you. I've also liked Michael Chiarello's show and Laura Calder's. They're really the only two since those you mention who have impressed and inspired me. Laura's Canadian and a star on the Canadian Food Network, or so I understand, and very much a French cook in the bistro style that I love and live for myself. You'd like her. Competent, knowledgeable and easy to watch both for her skill and elegantly low-key personality (all the Canadian men I know are in love with her). Unfortunately, though she can cook circles around most of the people on either network (dare I suggest that's the problem), the American Cooking channel owns only about 7 episodes of her show taped in 2009, I think it was, but that's all.

Never heard of her, but I did also like Michael Chiarello. But sounds good.

Jenise wrote:Rahsaan, inspired by my complaint re Laura Calder, just now I thought to check You Tube for episodes of her show--and I found them! Here's an episode on breads, which I'm sure is a topic you'll enjoy:

Oh, if we're talking about food show hosts, I like the new Mind of a Chef with David Chang. He's got an interesting angle on food and the cooking segments are pretty good. In some respects I like the travel scenes for the imagery, but they are often oversimplified and gimmicky for my tastes. But then again we are outliers in terms of what we want from these types of shows.

Rahsaan wrote:Agreed. In the late 90s and even into the early 00s, the Food Network was actually pretty interesting. Ming Tsai and Batali were two of my favorites, but I thought Bobby Flay was also pretty good value in those days..

Ming Tsai, Batali, David Rosengarten all had shows that I could learn from. Sara Moulton on Cooking Live would take calls- can you imagine the current crew ad-libbing? Flay when he did the show with the Southern guy with cornpone accent might teach something. I even enjoyed a few Emerils when it was just him without audience interaction. Two Fat Ladies (reruns from BBC)- "first you line the pan with bacon" (I think that's how 50% of recipes started). Those were the days! Ah, I've achieved crotchedy old man status!

Rahsaan wrote:Oh, if we're talking about food show hosts, I like the new Mind of a Chef with David Chang. He's got an interesting angle on food and the cooking segments are pretty good. In some respects I like the travel scenes for the imagery, but they are often oversimplified and gimmicky for my tastes. But then again we are outliers in terms of what we want from these types of shows.

Is that on PBS? I remember reading about it--Bourdain's involved,no? But I haven't noticed/passed up an opportunity to watch it. Possibly, it's not airing out here in the Momofuku-less west.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Dale Williams wrote:Ming Tsai, Batali, David Rosengarten all had shows that I could learn from. Sara Moulton on Cooking Live would take calls- can you imagine the current crew ad-libbing?

Yeah, I used to watch Sara Moulton's show as well. For a couple of years I was like a Food Network sponge, it was the most interesting thing around. She obviously wasn't the same high-level chef as Ming or Mario, but she knew a lot and it was worth watching.

Jenise wrote:Is that on PBS? I remember reading about it--Bourdain's involved,no? But I haven't noticed/passed up an opportunity to watch it. Possibly, it's not airing out here in the Momofuku-less west.

Yes, PBS. Bourdain does the narration. I don't have a tv and have watched it all online, via the pbs.org website. They have a few shows on there at the moment, although they have been quicker about taking them down and not archiving them the way they do for other programs.

Too many of the current crop of shows seem to be about the person not the instruction, technique, or the dish. When Julia or M. Kamman or Madhur Jaffrey were instructing you actually received a true usable lesson.